A field-installable optical connector is a known example of a device for connecting optical fibers by abutting the optical fibers' respective end surfaces against one another. The field-installable optical connector is a type of optical connector having a structure that can be easily assembled to a terminal of an optical cable at an optical fiber laying site. A built-in fiber is factory-preinstalled in a ferrule of an optical connector before assembly, and an end section of the built-in fiber is arranged in a clamp section (mechanical splice). At the site of assembly, an end section of an insertion fiber that is retained by an optical-fiber retaining element is inserted into the clamp section, and the optical fibers abut against one another and are connected inside the clamp section.
Patent Literatures 1 and 2 describe structures of gripping members serving as optical-fiber retaining elements. The gripping members described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 have projections formed on respective inner surfaces of a pair of side walls, and the projections are wedged into an outer sheath of an optical cable (e.g., an indoor cable), to grip and fix the optical cable between the pair of side walls. Patent Literatures 1 and 2 also describe assembling a field-installable optical connector by using the gripping member (optical-fiber retaining element) retaining the optical fiber.
Patent Literature 3 describes an optical fiber jig for retaining an optical fiber. A jig body of the optical fiber jig of Patent Literature 3 includes a pair of side walls standing up from a bottom wall. An optical fiber is arranged in a fiber accommodation groove between the pair of side walls. By moving a slider and thereby elastically deforming the pair of side walls inwardly so as to reduce the width of the fiber accommodation groove, the optical fiber is tucked between and fixed by the fiber accommodation groove between the pair of side walls. Patent Literature 3 also describes assembling a field-installable optical connector by using the optical fiber jig retaining the optical fiber.
Before inserting an optical fiber (insertion fiber) retained by an optical-fiber retaining element into a clamp section of a field-installable optical connector, a pre-treatment is performed, wherein a cover of the optical fiber projecting from the optical-fiber retaining element is removed to expose bare fiber, and an end section of the optical fiber (bare fiber) is cut. In this way, the projection length of the optical fiber (insertion fiber) projecting from the optical-fiber retaining element and also the cover-removal length are adjusted respectively to predetermined lengths.
Patent Literature 2 describes: arranging a gripping member that grips an optical cable into an optical fiber holder; placing the optical fiber holder, to which the optical cable has been fixed, on an optical fiber processing tool (a fiber cutter or cover-removal tool); and cutting the optical fiber or removing the cover of the optical fiber.
Also, Patent Literature 3 describes: mounting an optical fiber jig (optical-fiber retaining element) retaining an optical fiber onto a holder; placing the holder, to which the optical fiber has been fixed, on an optical fiber processing tool (a cover-removal tool or cutter); and removing the cover of the optical fiber or cutting the optical fiber.